Three days before salary arbitration, the Rangers and Ryan Lindgren reached an agreement that’ll keep him in New York City for at least another year.

The 26-year-old defenseman re-signed for one year, $4.5 million. In doing so, the onus will be on Lindgren to earn a new contract next summer. If he wants to remain a New York Ranger past the upcoming 2024-25 season, it’ll be up to him.

By agreeing to take a one-year deal for fair market value, the gritty warrior knows that he’ll turn unrestricted next year. If he stays healthy and puts together a good season, Lindgren should be able to dictate the terms in free agency.

A defensive defenseman who brings his hard hat to work, the Burnsville, Minnesota native plays with physical edge and intensity. A staple on the Rangers blue line who’s teamed with Adam Fox on the top pair, Lindgren is a stabilizing force.

Similar to Dan Girardi, he’s played bruised and battered. A fan favorite, the former Bruins 2016 second round pick, remains part of one of the better trades the Rangers made in recent memory. He came over from Boston as part of the Rick Nash deal on Feb. 25, 2018.

At one point, former team president and general manager Jeff Gorton used Ryan Spooner to acquire Ryan Strome. A move that turned the original trade into a steal. Strome served as the second center until two years ago when he left to sign with the Ducks. Strome was a good Ranger who played with Artemi Panarin. He was replaced by Vincent Trocheck.

For five seasons, Lindgren has proven to be one of the Rangers’ most trusted defensemen. While not the most mobile skater, he’s gotten the most of his ability. In 333 career games, he’s totaled 10 goals, 70 assists, and 80 points with a plus-99 rating. In 2023-24, he had three goals and 14 assists for 17 points while posting a plus-22 rating over 76 games. He added 103 blocks and 114 hits while averaging 19:21 of ice time.

In the postseason, Lindgren tallied three assists. None were bigger than his great setup for Chris Kreider’s series clinching goal in the third period of Game 6 against the Hurricanes. It gave Kreider a natural hat trick. The Rangers came from behind to eliminate the Canes in six games, advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.

The Rangers have a lot of players on the roster who’ll be playing for new contracts. That includes Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, Lindgren, Kaapo Kakko, Reilly Smith, Jimmy Vesey, Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, Zac Jones, Jonathan Quick, and Chad Ruhwedel. If he makes the roster, you can add Adam Edstrom to that list.

Obviously, Shesterkin is front and center. He’s entering the final year of a contract that’s a $5.67 cap hit. A bargain. If he reaches next summer, there’s no telling what he’ll get. Shesterkin is looking to break the bank.

Lafreniere is coming off a career best season that saw him score 28 goals and add 29 assists for 57 points. If he can improve on those totals, 35 goals and 70 points are possible. That would mean a significant long-term extension for the former 2020 top pick. That could come at some point next season.

With team president and general manager Chris Drury making few changes to a roster that reached Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, the pressure is on. They’re banking on a healthier Filip Chytil to supply offense to the third line. If he remains a Ranger this fall, Kakko must step up. It’s do or die. A projected third line of Chytil, Kakko, and Cuylle could be counted on to supply secondary scoring.

If Brennan Othmann can force his way onto the roster, he has to play in the top nine. That could impact Kakko if he gets off to a bad start. His future remains uncertain.

In subtracting Barclay Goodrow and replacing him with Sam Carrick, the Rangers look weaker. Goodrow was a trusted veteran checking center who doubled as an effective penalty killer. Carrick will be asked to fill the void. If he can, then the fourth line should be okay. It still includes Vesey and possibly Rempe, who wants to be more than a part-timer. He has the potential to become a regular instead of a sideshow who was barely used by coach Peter Laviolette in the playoffs.

Rempe will compete with Edstrom, Brett Berard, and Jonny Brodzinski, who remains a good option that the coaching staff likes. The 31-year-old earned it last season by filling in admirably.

There’s a lot riding on the line. If they can’t deliver a Stanley Cup next June, then there could be many changes made. It’s all hanging in the balance. With teams being them getting better, it’s going to be even more challenging. The Blueshirts won’t sneak up on anybody next season. They’ll get everyone’s best game.

Wrestling legend Sting had a saying. “With Sting, nothing is for sure.” The same applies to the Rangers.